Why I work out ...

I've read a lot of people claiming they are exercising for their family.

Um, not me.  I'm exercising for me: to be healthy, to be happy, to be strong.

That strong portion has some body role models (drumroll please):






Sigourney Weaver in "Aliens."  What a woman.  What a character.

Photo by Sgt. Michael Connors [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASigourney_Weaver_%40_2010_Academy_Awards_(cropped).jpg

Tough, strong, and aging beautifully.



Linda Hamilton in "Terminator 2."  While I think her body fat was lower than I want to go, I admire her determination a great deal.  She had to work hard for that physicality.

"10.17.09LindaHamiltonByLuigiNovi" by Nightscream - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:10.17.09LindaHamiltonByLuigiNovi.jpg#mediaviewer/File:10.17.09LindaHamiltonByLuigiNovi.jpg

Delts, biceps, and triceps - the trifecta of perfection.



Is it just me, or are our modern day action stars a little ... anemic?  Linda and Sigourney are authentic, and I have not seen their like in many a year.



Celebrities - Jada Pinkett and Madonna.  Showing that world that you can still find physical improvement with age, you do not have to live with decline, that is a choice.

"Pinkett-Smith" by Jerry Avenaim - Transferred from en.wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pinkett-Smith.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Pinkett-Smith.jpg

Lean and tough.

By Tony Barton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Madonna_at_Coachella_2006.jpg

Those legs have a been her lifelong quest.




Athletes - The Williams' sisters and Joan Benoit and, well, all marathoners (and ultramarathoners).  I admire the drive marathoners need to possess in order to cross that finish line.  It doesn't hurt that they pretty much all have great legs.

By BrokenSphere (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Venus_%26_Serena_Williams_at_Bank_of_the_West_Classic_2009-07-27.JPG

By Goyk (talk).Goyk at en.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Joan_Benoit_2008.jpg

Ladies, I admire your determination and your skills.  When I want to skip a lift day or the long run, I think of you all - and drag myself off to the appropriate room.  Thanks for the inspiration.